Automatic roadway-guard



(No Model.)

W.' '0. WISNER. AUTOMATIC ROADWAY GUARD. No. 606,614. Patented June 28,1898.

-UNITED STATES PATENT f Fries.

WILLIAM O. WISNER, OF HOOPER, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TFIIRD TO HIRAMA. STURGES, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

AUTOMATIC ROADWAY-G UARD.

srEcrFIcArI'oN-armin part of Letters Batent Ne. 606,614, dated June 28',1898.

' Appfioation fil d March 5, 1897. Serial Nb. 626,133. '(No model.)

. To all whom it may corioernf Be it known that 1, WILLIAM O. WIsNER, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Hooper, in thecounty of Dodge and State ofNebraska, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Automatic Road way-Guards and Signals forCrossings; and I- do declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will which will be operatedby the passing train or other vehicle both to extend the guard beforethe vehicle reaches the crossing to be protected and to retract it afterthe train has passed the protected crossing.

The inventionconsists in a certain novel combination and arrangement ofparts, as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in theclaims appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View showing the guardextended. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation showing the guard folded, and Fig. 3is a detail view.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates a suitablesupport,which is to be located in such a position that the extendedguard will reach across the street to be protected. Within this support,at its upper end, is a rigid horizontal bar 2, upon which is pivoted theupper end of a lever 3, which lever forms one part of the inner sectionof a lazytongs 4. The other part, or lever 3, of this inner section ofthe lazy-tongs is pivoted on a horizontal, rod 5, which is supported atits ends in vertical guides 6 v6, secured to the support, which guidesare open at their upper ends. This rod is held in these guides againstlateral movement, but is adapted to move vertically therein. Pivoted ona horizontal pivot located near the bottom of the guides 6 is abell-crank lever7, to one of whose arms a link 8 is connected. The otherend of this link is connected to one of the inner levers of the lazy-'prising the inner section thereof.

end is formed with the broad cu rved surface 13.-

Secured at each end of this curved surface is an operating rope or wire,each of said ropes or Wires being so secured that when one is drawnoutward to operate the gate in one direction the other one will be woundupon the curved portion of the crank. These wires extend to any desireddistance from the shaft 11, one extending in one direction and one inthe opposite direction, the Wire 14 being designed to open or'extend theguard, while 14 is designed to fold it. To the outer ends of these wireslevers 15 are secured, the free ends of said levers extending into thepath of the passing trains. and being adapted to be engaged by thosetrains going in a certain direction and to thereby operate the guard.

It is obvious that by duplicating the operbell-crank 7 and pivoting itupon the frame at a point below the lazy-tongs I am enabled to use anoperating-link 8, lying in a substantially horizontal position andconnected to one of the inner levers of the lazy-tongs beyond thepivotal point of the two levers com- The advantage of this constructionis that a direct push-and-pull action is obtained, therebyreducing thestrain and operating power to a minimum. This construction also enablesthe necessary movement of the lazy-ton gs to be obtained with a minimummovement on the part of the crank shaft below, it being evident that bysimply lengthening the bellcrank arms any desired length of stroke maybe obtained.

It will be observed that the advantage of leaving the upper end of theguideways 6 open the lazy-tongs can be readily removed for repair, itbeing simply necessary to remove shaft 2 and disconnect link 8,whereupon the lazy-tongs may be lifted out of the frame.

It will be observed that the lazy-tongs remains folded and lies withinthe frame until the approach of a train, whereupon it is extended acrossthe roadway parallel with the track and remains there until the trainhas passed, whereupon it is again drawn in or folded. It will thereforebe observed that the lazy-tongs remains in a folded position the greaterpart of the time.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic railway-guard, the combination of a support, uprightguideways 0 thereon, said guideways being open at their upper ends, alazy-tongs mounted in said support, the upper end of one of the leversforming the inner section of said lazytongs being pivotally secured tosaid support, a cross-bar carried by the inner, lower end of the otherlever of the said inner section, said cross-bar being vertically movablein said guideways, a bell-crank lever 7 pivoted in the support below thelazy-tongs, a substan tially horizontal link connecting theupwardextending arm of the bell-crank to one of the levers of said innersection of the lazy-tongs, and means connected to the other arm of saidbell-crank lever and adapted to be operated by the passing Vehiclewhereby the lazy-ton will be extended during the passage of the Vehicleand be folded when said vehicle has passed by the guard, substantiallyas described.

2. In an automatic railway-guard, the combination of a support, providedwith upright guideways open at their upper ends, a lazytongs mounted insaid support, the upper end of one of the levers comprising the innersection of said lazy-tongs being pivoted to said support, a cross-barcarried by the inner, lower end of the other leverof said inner section,said cross-bar being vertically movable in the guideways and heldagainst lateral movement therein, a substantially horizontal linkconnected to one of the levers of the illner section of the lazy-tongsbeyond their common pivot, a bell-crank lever mounted on a support belowthe lazy-tongs, one arm of said lever being connected to the end of saidlink, a crank-shaft below the bell-crank lever, a pitman connected tothe other arm of said bell-crank and also to the crank-arm on saidcrank-shaft, another crank-arm on said shaft, and means connected tothis latter crank-arn1 adapted to be operated by the passing vehicle,whereby the guard will be extended during the passage of the vehicle andfolded when said vehicle has passed by the guard, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

XVILTJAU O. XVISN E It.

\Vitnesses:

F. W. Lvnliiv, En. UEHLING.

